Favorites Sievinen and Klochkova Takes Medleys on Day One of Euro Short Course Champs

RIESA, Germany, December 12. VETERANS Jani Sievinen of Finland and Yana Klochkova of Ukraine turned in the most outstanding performances on the first day of the European Short Course Championships in Riesa, Germany.

Several of the continent's top stars, including Inge De Bruijn, Pieter van den Hoogenband, Franziska van Almsick, Mark Foster and Alex Popov chose to pass on the meet this year, taking a bit of shine off the meet's holiday glitter.

Sievinen, the world record-holder in the 200m IM, both long course and short, won his favorite event tonight in a championship record 1:55.47, less than a second off the world mark he shares with Hungary's Attila Czene.

Hungary's Tamas Kerkjarto, a USC grad and the morning's top qualifier, was second tonight in 1:56.07
while defending champion, Peter Mankoc of Slovenia, was third in 1:56.28.

Klochkova won the women's 200 IM in a very fast 2:08.28, a championship record and the second fastest time ever swum behind only Allison Wagner's world record of 2:07.97. Alenka Kejzar of Slovenia and Southern Methodist University, was a very strong second in 2:09.33. Belarus' Hanna Shcherba was third.

Sweden's Stefan Nystrand defended his 50m sprint title, but his 21.55 today was far off his championship record of 21.15 set a year ago.

Germany's men's 200m medley relay team consisting of Stev Theloke, Jens Kruppa, Thomas Rupprath and Carsten Dehmlow, set a world best of 2:34.72, six-hundredths faster than the previous best in this seldom-swum sprint relay. That time was turned in by another German team last year. FINA does not recognize official world records in the 200 meter relays.

Last summer, 17 year-old Eva Risztov was frustrated at the Long Course Euro Champs, winding up with three silver medals in three very close races. She vowed that next time, she would win gold. well, next time has come, and the determined teenager has fulfilled her vow. Leading from start to finish in the 200 fly, Risztov won in 2:07.19, more than a second in front of Danish veteran Mette Jacobsen.

A tired, globe-trotting Emma Igelstrom, of Sweden, summoned just enough energy to win the 50m breast by one-hundredth of a second over Germany's (and univerrsity of Georgia's) Sarah Poewe. Igelstrom's time of 30.89 was well of her WR of 29.96.

European Short Course Championships
Riesa, Germany
December 12-15, 2002